The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Ornamentxe2x80x99.
The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit, profuse and uniform flowering, dark green foliage, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, resistance to Cylindrocladium, and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Azalea originated from a cross made by the Inventors in December, 1991, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Azalea seedling selection identified as YB-0224, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the cultivar xe2x80x98Dorothy Gishxe2x80x99, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., in July, 1994. The selection of this plant was based on its hose-in-hose flower form, soft pinkish red flower color, ruffled petal margins, large flower size, uniform flowering response, very good foliage retention, and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since April, 1995, has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, light intensity, relative humidity, fertilizer rate and type, and/or water status without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Ornamentxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Ornamentxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Very dark green glossy leaves that do not abscise during the cooling and forcing periods.
2. Large plants with dense and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit.
3. Very freely branching habit; usually about 4 or 5 lateral branches develop after pinching.
4. Rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering about 24 days after cooling treatment.
5. Numerous, large and showy soft pinkish red-colored flowers.
6. Hose-in-hose flower form.
7. Ruffled petal margins.
8. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good flower substance for more than three weeks in an interior environment.
9. Low incidence of infection with Cylindrocladium in inoculated trials.
Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the female parent, the selection YB-0224, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea have hose-in-hose flowers whereas plants of the selection YB-0224 have single flowers.
2. Plants of the new Azalea have soft pinkish red-colored flowers whereas plants of the selection YB-0224 have reddish orange-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar xe2x80x98Dorothy Gishxe2x80x99, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea have hose-in-hose flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Dorothy Gishxe2x80x99 have semi-double, hose-in-hose flowers.
2. Plants of the new Azalea flower about 11 days earlier than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Dorothy Gishxe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Azalea flower more uniformly and are more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Dorothy Gishxe2x80x99.
Plants of the new Azalea can be compared to the plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,131. However, in side-by-side comparisions conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the cultivar Champagne in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Azalea are more dense and symmetrical than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99.
2. Plants of the new Azalea have glossier leaves than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Azalea have hose-in-hose flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99 have semi-double, hose-in-hose flowers.
4. Plants of the new Azalea have darker colored flowers than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99.
5. Plants of the new Azalea flower about 6 days earlier than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Champagnexe2x80x99.